Down
by Sky's Breaker
Summary: All AI units are being hunted by the Meta, and no one is safe, not even those that can't be extracted. Contains an OC, and this might be a lead up to a multi chapter that I may write... Horrid summary, I know.


Memories

AN: So this is kinda, sorta based off a dream I had where the Meta was strangling me. And then wanted to be my friend… weird. Anyway, couldn't sleep for a week afterwards. Hope someone out there likes it. If not, oh well. Just needed this out of my system.

-:-

I struggled for every breath as I slowly realized that I could, indeed, die. All I could do was stare in front of me, at the reflection of myself on his visor. I had never truly known who was behind that visor.

Over the past few months, I had gotten to know him, but it seemed that whenever I was close to figuring out a big piece to the puzzle, something would get in the way. Sometimes it was Agent South, with her anger issues; and other times it would be the Director or the Councillor purposely intervening.

It was strange, because I wasn't restricted from anyone else's information, aside from Texas; everyone was not allowed to access her files. I was allowed access to anyone, or any AI fragment. In fact, soon after the Director installed me in this organic form, I became quick friends with Theta, and as a result of that, Agent North, too.

Though at that moment in time, I couldn't figure out for all I was worth why Maine would target me. I'm not a threat, seeing that I can't fight to save myself; my current situation was there as an example. And if he kills me, he wouldn't be able to steal me from me, like he did with Agent Carolina's two AI's, Eta and Iota.

I had done nothing of bad will towards him, yet here he was, making me struggle in his grasp. In fact, I thought this would never happen. One could say that for a while, he and I were more friendly towards each other than we were to others.

That meant a lot for me, because I was friendly with basically everyone aboard the Mother of Invention. That is, aside from Agent South and Agent Carolina. I couldn't really explain why I didn't really like Carolina, but South was a no brainer. We didn't click, I couldn't see any reasoning behind her outbursts of anger towards others, or her attitude in general.

The first time I met Agent Maine, I had just opened my eyes of my organic form and saw him at the opposite end of the recovery room. I later learned that he was shot in the throat several times, literally rendering him speechless. However, that problem was fixed when Agent Carolina gave the AI Sigma to Maine so he could communicate.

At the beginning, I didn't really get along with Maine's AI buddy, but after a while, we grew to be something that resembled friends. We weren't quite friends, we never managed to achieve that level before Sigma began to get crafty in his ideas. Over time, they became more and more twisted, until it ended up stealing the other AI's in order to attempt to be whole again.

I knew that wouldn't work, because of what happened to the Alpha. I may not be a fragment of him, but I had heard of how the fragments were created. It wasn't pretty, it was never pretty. After I figured some of it out, I held a somewhat new respect for the fragments.

What stumped me was why Maine listened to Sigma. Wouldn't it be common sense to not hurt your friends and find a more civil way to deal with things? Though, Maine hardly went with the grain of society, now that I reflect.

Returning to the main point, Maine had no reason to attack me. Perhaps it wasn't actually him, but Sigma. Unfortunately, Maine and Sigma had caught me in a difficult place where help was non existent. We were in the middle of an arctic tundra, where one would normally freeze after a few minutes exposed to the freezing temperatures.

After the Freelancer Program went under, I was sent off with very little memory of when I was an AI. I knew I was one once upon a time, but what I ran was a mystery to me. I never knew the real reason for sending me off into the tundra, but the Director might have been trying to save me.

While Maine held me in the air, I could feel his muscles flex in his hands and arms. It was at that moment that I decided that it was indeed Sigma causing this. One last cry for help wouldn't hurt, would it?

"S-Sigma," I gasped, "Why?"

The red-orange AI appeared on Maine's shoulder. "You are a full AI inside, therefore more powerful than any of the fragments." I kept struggling, hoping that he would maybe slip up. "I'm impressed that you managed to stay in hiding for three weeks. Hiding was never your strongest suit in training, as I recall."

"Please… don't," I managed before I blacked out because Maine's strength finally got the better of me.

-:-

When I woke up, I was surrounded by grey metal. Grey metal, and the sounds of yelling voices outside. Outside? The voices were muffled by the grey metal, so I only assumed that they were outside, and I was inside, seeing as I was surrounded by grey metal.

The strangest thing was that I knew who I was, but only after a certain point in time. Like something was missing from my life.

The yelling voices were getting louder, so I pretended to be asleep. What I heard was not what I expected. "She just might break your record of the longest sleep, Grif."

"Shut up," another person said.

Another, different person spoke up. "Be quiet, if she's sleeping, she needs it."

That was when I decided I'd surprise them. Without moving, I began to speak. "I've been awake for a little bit now, and I'd appreciate if someone would tell me where the hell I am, that'd be great. If someone would throw in how I got here, as well, that'd be just splendid."

"Command sent you, though they didn't say you'd be comatose," yet another voice said. "Welcome to the Red Army, Private… uh, what did you say her name was, Doc?"

"Reya."

Well, at least I was safe, for now.

-:-

AN: So please, if you would like to review, you can, but I have a low standard for the reviews I get, so I'm expecting maybe one or two.

Hmm… this might be a prequel to a story that I'll probably start and most likely never finish.


End file.
